A group of Cassens Transport Company employees who had been injured on the job sued Dr. Saul Margules, Cassens, and Cassens' self-insured claims manager, Crawford & Company, alleging that the three conspired to deny benefits to injured workers. The suit alleged that Crawford consistently retained unqualified and biased physicians to render fraudulent reports disputing the workers' injuries or medical condition.
Continue reading "Federal Court allows injured workers to sue employer, insurer and "independent" [IME] doctors for fraud" »
Jeffrey and Karen Tyler sued the Fowlerville Community School District on behalf of their cognitively impaired daughter, Sarah. Sarah was molested when a teacher allowed her to study in a private viewing room adjacent to their classroom. Sarah was in the eighth grade, but functionally a second grader at the time of the incident and her parents argued that the school system failed to provide her a safe environment, taking into account her disability.
Continue reading "Verdict finding disabled child cannot qualify for Disability Civil Rights in school is upheld" »
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-2 to grant immunity to vaccine makers. The ruling was in the case of Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, and arose out of Hannah Bruesewitz' parents' claim that she suffered a permanent brain injury after being administered a standard diptheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine. Hannah's parents claimed that Wyeth negligently designed the vaccine, but the Court held it didn't matter: the Justices concluded that a Congressional bill intended to provide limited compensation to some patients who suffer side effects impliedly created immunity for the manufacturers--even though the bill does not say that.
Continue reading "U.S. Supreme Court holds vaccine makers immune from product design lawsuits" »
Bradley Ross sued David Plunkett and Pro-Med Delivery after Ross was badly hurt in a car accident on I-696 in Oakland County. Ross claimed that Plunkett suddenly swerved into his lane and then stopped abruptly, leaving Ross no time to avoid a collision. Plunkett presented contradictory evidence, suggesting that his driving was appropriate and not a cause of the collision. Ultimately, the jury held both drivers to be fifty percent at-fault and awarded Ross one-half of his future damages. Plunkett's insurer filed an appeal raising a number of issues in the management of the case.
Continue reading "Appellate Court upholds verdict for future wage loss" »
Martin Jakubowski sued the Christ Hospital in Ohio claiming that it failed to accommodate his disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Jakubowski was diagnosed with a form of Asperger's Disorder which clearly impacted his progress in the Christ Hospital's Family Practice residency program. His suit was based on the hospital's failure to make reasonable accommodations for his disability.
Continue reading "Doctor with Asperger's Disorder cannot maintain ADA claim against residency program" »
John Schwalm sued his company's long term disability insurer, Guardian Life, after it stopped paying benefits. Schwalm was the CEO of a technology company when he injured his back while lifting his luggage on a 1999 business trip. Ultimately he required three surgeries, including a spinal fusion at L-4, L-5, and endured complications that left him with fairly severe chronic pain. In 2003, he was approved for disability for two years, based on his disability from his "own occupation." At the end of two years, he was required to prove disability from any gainful work "consistent with [his previous] level of insured earnings," which was $140,000.00.
Continue reading "Executive denied disability by Guardian Life" »
Robert Watkins sued the St. Francis Camp on the Lake after he suffered spinal injuries on the camp water slide. Watkins is a mentally competent 34 year-old who was confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy. He also suffers from spinal disc disease, arthritis, and speech disorders, although he does not have an appointed guardian. When he enrolled in the camp, his mother explained these problems in his camp application and recommended that his involvement in certain activities be limited.
Continue reading "Quadriplegiac cannot sue camp for injuries suffered on water slide" »
The LA Times reported today that the family of Edward Acuna has filed suit against Riddell, alleging a defect in the padding in the front of Acuna's football helmet. Acuna suffered a subdural hematoma that left him permanently partially paralyzed during a football game in October of 2009. The family's attorney alleges that Riddell was aware of the padding problem in the helmet for a decade prior to Acuna's injury.
John McMillan sued his landlord after he injured his shoulder while descending the basement stairs of his rented home. The handrail allegedly gave way, causing McMillan to fall and injure his shoulder. At trial, the jury awarded McMillan his medical expenses of approximately $4,000.00 but awarded him nothing for lost wages or pain and suffering. McMillan appealed arguing that it was inconsistent and against the great weight of the evidence for the jury to award no damages beyond the medical expenses. His attorneys also argued that the verdict reflected an anti-judicial or anti-plaintiff bias because post-verdict discussions with the all-white jury suggested the jurors were motivated by a distaste for the entire procedure, including the all-black cast of parties and witnesses.
Continue reading "Court upholds verdict for medical expenses only" »
State Farm filed a "complaint for discovery" against Broe Rehabilitation, seeking to force the company to turn over to it the medical records of State Farm insureds who had received treatment at Broe. State Farm also sought to take the testimony of treatment providers under oath. State Farm argued that under the No Fault Act, it was entitled to obtain these records to investigate fraud, and that it was not obligated to inform the involved patients or allow them to intervene to justify the care provided.
Continue reading "State Farm cannot dispute PIP benefits with provider, and subpoeana patient records, without notice to injury victims" »
Under Michigan law, public school districts owe a duty to provide certain services to children who have special needs. These services are usually defined through the IEP [individual education program] process: the IEP is a detailed, comprehensive examination of the child's needs and it involves the child's parents, teacher(s), medical records and school system specialists. An IEP conference is held annually and the child's educational needs are compiled in a detailed report. In some cases, the "needs" identified in the IEP also fall within the obligations of a no fault insurer required to provide for the educational and rehabilitational needs of a child injured in a motor vehicle collision.
Continue reading "Court addresses interplay of No Fault insurer's obligations and school district's legal duties" »
Gary Hovanec suffered permanent injuries when he fell while power-walking on the sidewalk after his second shift ended. Through its employees, the City of Flint agreed that the guardrail that tripped Hovanec was not "reasonably safe" and it also admitted that there had been unreasonable delay in responding to the condition. Both sides waived a jury and asked the Court to render judgment. Ultimately the judge gave a reasoned basis for a judgment in excess of $800,000.00, with 25% comparative fault. The City appealed, seeking remittur or a ruling that the damages were "against the great weight of the evidence." The Court of Appeals unanimously upheld the lower court's decision, finding it was supported by the facts of the case.
U of M researchers recently published a study examining the genetic fingerprint of DNA from 100 Detroit residents, including 23 individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. In total, they examined more than 14,000 genes. Among their findings was a propensity for certain immune system-controlling genes to become over-active in persons suffering from PTSD. Their interpretation? While it has long been believed that diseases and psychiatric conditions represent an "interplay between social and biological factors," these findings "support the idea that exposure to a traumatic event can trigger genetic changes that alter the body's immune system." The result is severe and dysfunctional anxiety.
Continue reading "University of Michigan study sheds light on post-traumatic stress disorder" »
James M. Tschirhart was sued by the family of Melvin Tomich after Tomich failed to survive gall bladder surgery. The Tomich family alleged that Tschirhart was negligent in failing to discontinue Tomich's aspirin therapy, in failing to monitor Tomich post-operatively and in failing to obtain a proper cardiac clearance for surgery. Tschirhart initially failed to answer the complaint and was defaulted. His attorneys then sought to set aside the default, alleging a medical condition that had interfered with his ability to respond. The Court set aside the default, but also allowed the victim's family to demand limited information about Tschirhart's medical history, including any history of substance abuse during the previous ten years. Tschirhart's insurer appealed this ruling.
Continue reading "Doctor must provide limited discovery into health history, substance abuse" »
Maribea Balmert sued the Reliance Standard Life Insurance Company to resinstate her disability insurance. An accountant-tax analyst for Big Lots, Balmert also suffered from rheumatoid arthritis. In 2004, she stopped working because of symptoms she believed were related to the arthritis, including pain and numbness in her hands which she attributed to keyboarding demands and stress. Her doctor found little evidence of synovitis in her hands and referred her for neurological and psychological evaluation, while recommending a temporary medical leave. He believed that other potential etiologies needed to be investigated.
Continue reading "Insurer's denial of ERISA long-term disability benefits is upheld by Sixth Circuit" »
A successful Michigan trial attorney once claimed, in essence, that "a milion dollar verdict is a $250,000.00 settlement that a defendant was too bone-headed to resolve." The case of Freed v. Salas, Healthlink Medical Transportation Services and Waste Management of Michigan, is a case in point: Waste Management rejected a settlement of $500,000.00 in this wrongful death case and wound up owing a judgment of more than 6 million dollars. Attempting to recover from its error in judgment, Waste Management filed an appeal, arguing all manner of errors in the conduct of the trial.
Continue reading "Court of Appeals addressed alleged improprieties in verdict against Waste Management" »
David B. Cox was awarded long-term disability insurance and Social Security disability after suffering an event which his neurologist described as a stroke. After paying benefits for two years, the ERISA insurer, Standard Insurance Company, "reevaluated" Cox's disability and determined that he could return to the practice of Family Medicine. Cox filed an administrative appeal, which was denied, and then filed suit in Federal Court to challenge the decision.
Continue reading "Court upholds insurer's second-guessing of doctor's long-term disability" »
On September 23, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published its proposed new regulations for administering the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was amended effective January 1st. According to experts, the new regulations will "significantly lower the standard for an employee to establish that he or she has a covered disability." The amendment is expected to move the interaction under the ADA from a fight over whether an employee is qualified for consideration under the act to a fight over the employer's duty to make reasonble accommodations. From the amendment forward, the employee's proofs will primarily be directed to whether the "diability" limits an employee's ability to work or is perceived to perform his or her job. The new regulations will also take into account "mitigating measures" such as medication, eyeglasses, hearing aids and other measures which formerly precluded an employee from qualifying as "disabled" and eliminated any duty of accommodation.
In Rice v. Jefferson Pilot Financial Insurance Co., the Sixth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a disability suit brought by a floor covering installer who suffered from depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. The installer, Jerry Rice, was deemed disabled by the Social Security Administration, but his claim for disability benefits under his employer's ERISA contract was denied by the insurer. When he subsequently sued, the lawsuit was dismissed in response to Jefferson Pilot's argument that Rice did not comply with the three-year statute of limitations expressly incorporated into the disability insurance contract.
Continue reading "Sixth Circuit addresses statute of limitations issues under ERISA" »
Lois Kramer practiced as an O.B. Gyn specialist in the Henry Ford Health System before developing severe and chronic neck pain. She underwent physical therapy and surgery and was prescribed narcotic pain medications and sleep aids in the course of several years of treatment. Eventually, she and her peers at Henry Ford concluded that she was no longer able to practice her occupation safely, and she applied for disability benefits under policies purchased from the predecessors of the UNUM Life Insurance Company. Unum paid the benefits for several years before determining that her entitlement to benefits should be revoked. Kramer filed suit and the Federal District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan held that she was entitled to benefits under one of her two policies, but not under the other: the Sixth Circuit heard her appeal and granted benefits under both policies.
Continue reading "Doctor's ERISA disability benefits reinstated" »
Attorneys and the families of catastrophically injured no fault victims continue to watch the Michigan Supreme Court to see what will happen with PIP expenses in the situation where the families avoid institutionalization. From 1974 until a few years ago, the Supreme Court took the position that families could be fully compensated for keeping a catastrophically-injured loved one out of an institution by providing care for him or her. The Court held that if an expense was payable to an institution, it would be payable to the family, as well.
Continue reading "Expenses for care of catastrophically injured Michigan no fault victims" »
Michigan auto injury victims are currently placed in a quandary if their no fault insurer wants them to attend an IME and the victim would like to impose some reasonable conditions on his or her attendance. Up until 2007, it was believed that injury victims enjoyed the right to secure a court's intervention and supervision to assure that so-called independent medical examinations were conducted reasonably and with proper controls. Those rules still apply to "independent" examinations sought in the context of all other (non-no fault) circumstances.
Michigan courts have regularly required that the exam be conducted by a specialist reasonably close to the victim or that mileage or overnight expenses be paid. Other conditions we have seen imposed included a limit on the number or frequency of the examinations, and the right to have a companion accompany the victim or to have the victim's attorney observe the examination, for example.
Continue reading "Can a companion accompany you to a so-called "independent medical examination"" »
One of the Federal District Judges serving in the Eastern District of Michigan had occasion this month to address a controversy regarding an alleged binding arbitration agreement. In Estate of Vunies High v. Capital Senior Living, Judge David Lawson wrote an excellent opinion addressing the issues involved in a contract of adhesion attempting to deny residents of an assisted living facility of their right to a jury trial.
Continue reading "Defendant cannot avail itself of unfair arbitration provision without evidence of victim's intent" »
The New York Times recently published an excellent article helping to direct readers to better information on doctors, institutions and particular diseases and conditions. The article was authored by Pauline Chen, M.D., and titled "In Search of a Good Doctor". Among her suggestions:
Continue reading "Searching for information on good doctors and particular diseases and conditions" »
The Saginaw case brought by Julie Garcia against the driver who injured her, Dale Doyle, was dismissed in the trial court. The Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal, finding that Ms. Garcia did not satisfy the Taylor Supreme Court's Kreiner standard of "serious impairment". Ms. Garcia suffered a fracture of her seventh cervical vertebra.
Continue reading "Dismissal of "serious impairment" claim upheld on appeal" »
On December 9, the New York Times published an article addressing the increasing controversy over abnormal findings on CT scans and MRIs. The Times talked to the authors of two separate studies that found radiological abnormalities in just about as many healthy, pain-free individuals as were present in patients seeking treatment for pain. The studies involved patients with knee pain and back pain.
Continue reading "CT scans and MRIs may not be reliable indicators of the source of pain" »
An insurer recently lost another round in the ubiquitous battle over whether an employee can be defined as an independent contractor and denied the right to collect workers compensation. Many employers, some as large as FedEx, attempt to treat their employees as independent contractors in an effort to minimize employee benefits and expenses.
Continue reading ""Independent" roofer's right to collect workers compensation" »
There has been significant disagreement among authorities in Michigan over the interaction of the HIPAA privacy regulations and Michigan's statutory waiver of the physician-patient privilege that occurs when an injury victim files a civil action. Insurers for doctors, in particular, have been very aggressive in seeking the right to conduct private interviews with the other physicians who treated an alleged victim of malpractice.
Continue reading "Can a doctor who has been sued insist on a private meeting with the Plaintiff's physican?" »
Last year, in the U.S. alone, nearly one million knees and joints were implanted in patients. Worldwide, the U.S. is the number one manufacturer and the number one user of joint implants. Unlike other countries, however, we have no joint registry and there is no organized follow-up of implant patients. As a result, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurers and individual patients literally spend millions of dollars on defective implants that are not identified on a timely basis.
Continue reading "Efforts to create a joint registry continue to fail" »
Last year in an environmental case, the Engler majority of the Supreme Court pronounced a new and restrictive rule that precluded many interested persons from bringing disputes before the courts. It restricted the number of people who have "standing" to challenge a wrong. This misguided holding had one unexpected advantage last week, when it deprived Allstate Insurance Company of the right to avoid paying Personal Injury Protection benefits to a Physical Therapy provider.
Continue reading "Engler majority's constipated "standing" requirement precludes Allstate from over-reaching" »
In Degennaro v. Liberty Life Assurance, Judge Robert Jonker of the Western District of Michigan overturned Liberty's denial of long term disability (LTD) to Ms. Degennaro. She worked for Spectrum Health and had a number of serious medical problems. Because her LTD policy was provided through her employment, the terms of the policy were governed by Federal ERISA law. Liberty had granted her LTD benefits in 2004, however, in a manner typical of insurers, it tested her persistence and resources by "reevaluating" and denying her benefits in 2006. She fought, and in 2008, the Court ruled that Liberty's decision was arbitrary and capricious. It did not reinstate her benefits immediately, however.
Continue reading "Victory for employee in overturning insurer's denial of long-term disability" »
People who suffer back injuries superimposed on pre-existing degenerative back problems are faced with many problems in seeking medical expense coverage and fair compensation. Morrison v. State Farm helps to elucidate some of the issues.
Continue reading "Back injuries, degenerating spinal conditions and no fault" »
While the activist majority of Michigan's Supreme Court will stretch a long way to protect the insurers and Chamber of Commerce who secured their appointment to the Court, they ruled on June 25 that they would not protect insurers from outright fraud claims. The majority had earlier reversed 19 years of no fault law to require that suit on no fault PIP benefits be brought within one year of the date of any expense or service. Sharon Strozewski sued AAA alleging that the Auto Club had defrauded her of proper benefits for caring for her two severely disabled children; this week the Court held that if she proved all of the elements of fraud, she could win her case, despite the one-year limitation, because actual fraud has a longer statute of limitations.
Continue reading "Michigan's Supreme Court won't protect insurers from fraud" »
Noting that all of us are, for the most part, merely temporarily "abled", the Federal government has proposed sweeping new regulations pursuant to the ADA.They were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, allowing 60 days for public comment. As one might imagine, the Chamber of Commerce has attempted to exercise its muscle to negate the regulations, despite straightforward exemptions and reservations applicable to small businesses. The Bush Administration has inserted a "safe harbor" provision so that small businesses will be exempted from the improvements if they spent one percent of their gross revenue in the prior year removing obstacles.
Today, the Census Bureau reports that 51 million Americans have a disability, and two-thirds of those are severe impairments. That number and proportion will increase as the population ages. By 2010, the government estimates that two percent of the population will be utilizing mobility devices. As the population continues to age, the number of people who are challenged by hearing problems or mobility limitations will increase significantly.
The rules also confirm access for guide dogs and other service animals in public places, but also define the circumstances under which access may be denied. They confirm access for mobility devices but also allow malls, amusement parks and shopping centers to impose reasonable restrictions on Segways, golf carts and the like.
Continue reading "Potential new regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act" »